The invention relates to the field of pipetting. More specifically, the invention relates to devices which connect to a pipette and provide means both for handling the pipette and for drawing up and dispensing liquid from the pipette. The pipettes used with these devices should be either graduated or volumetric to enable the user to read the volume. The invention facilitates pipetting.
Many devices which facilitate pipetting are known in the prior art. Devices which provide the means to draw up and dispense liquids from a pipette are useful because they eliminate many of the dangers inherent in mouth pipetting. However, many of the commonly used pipetting devices either lack a handle or have an inadequate handle to control the movement and orientation of the pipette. An example of a pipetting device which lacks an adequate handle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,500. It is difficult to both operate the device and control the orientation of the pipette tip for delivering or receiving liquids without an adequate handle.
A pipetting device which includes a handle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,009 (Tietje). However, the Tietje device teaches that the pipette should be attached to the neck of the device at an acute angle. This puts the tip of the pipette at a far distance from the user's grasp on the handle, frequently causing the user some difficulty in controlling the position of the tip of the pipette. The present pipette controller requires that the pipette attach to the neck of the device at substantially a right angle, imparting an inverted "U" shape to the assembly. In the present pipette controller, the handle is substantially parallel to the attached pipette and the user's grasp on the handle is approximately medial to the length of the parallel pipette. The inverted "U" shape provides the user with greater control over the motion and positioning of the pipette tip for delivering liquid; also the inverted "U" shape facilitates the user's simultaneous visual monitoring of the operation of the device, the monitoring of the liquid level in the pipette, and the location of the pipette tip. The inverted "U" shape allows the user to accurately control the volume of liquid drawn up or dispensed by working the liquid control mechanisms of the pipette controller while simultaneously monitoring the relation between the liquid level and the graduations or volumetric markings of the pipette.